Eyokuqala YooKumkani
3 USolomon wendiselana noFaro ukumkani waseYiputa. Watshata* intombi kaFaro+ wayizisa kwisiXeko SikaDavide.+ Wayihlalisa apho de wagqiba ukwakha indlu yakhe,+ indlu kaYehova+ nodonga lweYerusalem macala onke.+ 2 Kodwa abantu babesabingelela kwiindawo eziphakamileyo,+ kuba igama likaYehova lalingekakhelwa ndlu ngelo xesha.+ 3 USolomon waqhubeka emthanda uYehova, elandela imiyalelo katata wakhe uDavide, ngaphandle nje kokuba wayebingelela yaye eqhumisa kwiindawo eziphakamileyo.+
4 Ukumkani wayokubingelela eGibheyon, kuba loo ndawo yayiyeyona idumileyo* kwiindawo eziphakamileyo.+ USolomon wanikela imibingelelo etshiswayo eyi-1 000 phezu kweso sibingelelo.+ 5 UYehova wabonakala kuSolomon ephupheni ngobusuku eGibheyon, wathi: “Cela into ongathanda ndikuphe yona.”+ 6 USolomon wathi: “Uye wamthanda kakhulu ngokungagungqiyo umkhonzi wakho utata, njengoko wayehamba phambi kwakho ngokuthembeka nangobulungisa nangentliziyo emsulwa. Uye waqhubeka umthanda ngokungagungqiyo kwada kwanamhlanje ngokumnika unyana oza kuhlala etroneni yakhe.+ 7 Ngoku ke, Yehova Thixo wam, uye wenza umkhonzi wakho ukumkani, endaweni kaDavide utata, nangona ndisemncinci,* ndingenamava.*+ 8 Umkhonzi wakho uphakathi kwabantu bakho obakhethileyo,+ isizwe esikhulu kangangokuba asinakubalwa. 9 Ngoko nika umkhonzi wakho intliziyo ethobelayo ukuze akwazi ukugweba abantu bakho,+ intliziyo ekwaziyo ukuqonda phakathi kokulungileyo nokubi,+ kuba ngubani onokukwazi ukugweba esi sizwe sakho sikhulu* kangaka?”
10 UYehova wasithanda isicelo sikaSolomon.+ 11 Wathi kuye: “Kuba ucele le nto, ungazicelelanga ubomi obude* okanye ubutyebi okanye ukufa kweentshaba* zakho, kodwa ucele ukuqonda ukuze ukwazi ukuchophela amatyala,+ 12 ndiza kuyenza le nto uyicelileyo.+ Ndiza kukunika intliziyo elumkileyo neqondayo,+ ukuze kungabikho mntu wakha wanjengawe noya kuze abe njengawe.+ 13 Ndiza kukunika nezinto ongazicelanga,+ ubutyebi nozuko,+ ukuze kungabikho kumkani unjengawe ubomi bakho bonke.*+ 14 Ukuba uhamba ezindleleni zam, uthobele imiyalelo nemithetho yam, njengokuba utata wakho uDavide wayesenza,+ ndiza kukunika nobomi obude.”*+
15 Ukuvuka kukaSolomon, waqonda ukuba ibingumbono. Emva koko waya eYerusalem, wafika wema phambi kwetyeya yesivumelwano kaYehova, wanikela imibingelelo etshiswayo,+ wenza iminikelo yobuhlobo waza wenzela zonke izicaka zakhe itheko.
16 Ngelo xesha kweza kukumkani abafazi ababini abathengisa ngomzimba, bema phambi kwakhe. 17 Umfazi wokuqala wathi: “Uxolo nkosi yam, mna nalo mfazi sihlala endlini enye, ibe ndiye ndabeleka ekhona. 18 Ngosuku lwesithathu emva kokuba ndibelekile, nalo mfazi uye wabeleka. Besihleli kunye, isithi sobabini kuphela endlini. 19 Unyana walo mfazi uye wasweleka ebusuku, kuba uye walala phezu kwakhe. 20 Ngoko uye wavuka ezinzulwini zobusuku, wathatha unyana wam ecaleni kwam ngoxa ikhobokazana lakho belilele, wambeka esifubeni sakhe, waza wathatha unyana wakhe oswelekileyo wambeka esifubeni sam. 21 Ukuvuka kwam ekuseni ukuze ndincancise unyana wam, ndiye ndabona ukuba uswelekile. Ndiye ndamjongisisa, ndabona ukuba lo asinguye unyana wam endimzeleyo.” 22 Kodwa umfazi wesibini wathi: “Hayi, unyana wam ngulo uphilayo, owakho ngulo uswelekileyo!” Lo wokuqala wayesithi: “Hayi, ngowakho lo uswelekileyo, owam ngulo uphilayo.” Baphikisana kwayiloo nto phambi kokumkani.
23 Ekugqibeleni ukumkani wathi: “Omnye uthi, ‘Unyana wam ngulo uphilayo, owakho unyana ngulo uswelekileyo!’ aze omnye athi, ‘Hayi, ngowakho lo nyana uswelekileyo, owam unyana ngulo uphilayo!’” 24 Ukumkani wathi: “Ndiphatheleni ikrele.” Bamphathela. 25 Emva koko, wathi ukumkani: “Candani lo mntwana uphilayo phakathi, ninike omnye umfazi icala, elinye nilinike omnye.” 26 Ngoko nangoko, umfazi owayengowakhe unyana ophilayo wamcenga ukumkani, kuba wayesikwa yinimba ngenxa yonyana wakhe, wathi: “Ndiyakucela, nkosi yam! Mnikeni yena umntwana ophilayo! Ningambulali!” Kodwa omnye umfazi wayesithi: “Akazukuba ngowam, engazukuba ngowakho. Mabamcande phakathi!” 27 Ukumkani wathi: “Ningambulali lo mntwana! Mnikeni lo mfazi wokuqala, kuba nguye umama wakhe.”
28 Wonke uSirayeli wasiva isigwebo esasenziwe ngukumkani, waza wamhlonipha,*+ kuba wabona ukuba uThixo wayemnike ubulumko bokugweba ngobulungisa.*+